Open

“[Serena] doesn’t give much away [in her] interviews, does she?”

If you look carefully, over the top of that broken bit of wall, a little way up the hill and to the right of the tree, there’s a figure – A person – An old woman wearing a dark shawl and a grey skirt.

Who do you think she is? Why is she stood in a field next to a couple of old and broken houses?

Maybe she lived there once, maybe when she was a little girl? Or maybe it was the home of someone she knew? Maybe she’s a ghost, come back to find the lover who left her stood at the alter, more than a lifetime ago? Or the husband she lost when he went away to fight in a war?

On Demand

Where did this demand-to-know thing come from? Is it Big Brother’s fault?

I don’t think so … We did it long before that. Hollywood stars were interesting long before gossip-mags were published. And we had it before Hollywood stars – back when people lived in two-up-two-downs; back to backs – across alleys and ginnels, worked at the same factory and drank at the same Working Man’s Club. Then the neighbours were interesting. What do they do behind those closed doors? Do they do the same things as us?

Lying Eyes

It’s said that people on the radio are some of the most trusted people in the world. If a radio-person reads out an advert everyone goes to buy. Why is that? Is it because people can only hear and not see? Why would that be? You’d think it would be the other way around – That trust would come from knowing more, not less? So people on the telly should be the ones we trust most – Video Killed The Radio Star? Seems not.

Maybe, when you see someone advertising Daz ¹ on the telly they are less able to convince you that they think it’s the very best washing powder on Earth? Once you can see their face the act falls flat and you know they’re only saying it … just getting paid?

Most people can lie with their voice, but not their eyes?

Working ‘ard

I watched a movie once – the words were in French – About a lesbian couple in a dominant-subservient relationship. [Yes, I wish I could remember the title too!]

Really it was about a couple of things. Some of it was about how some people find things that are hidden to be more erotic than when everything is shown? A bit like Seven Of Nine. Or Joanna Lumley. Or just about any Hollywood star you can name, before Gossip Mags became all the rage.

Once you’ve been pictured naked, face-front, sat on a toilet lid with your legs wide open and your arms by your side then there’s nothing else you can show – Nothing else new for anyone to see.

But not knowing irritates, now that we’re so accustomed to being told how everything works. There’s always someone on the telly – or in a magazine – explaining why it is that the world works the way that it does.

The film I watched was also about how difficult it is to always be the one with the new ideas. Always be the one who’s doing the talking, making things up, being the one who we all insist entertains us.

But, once you can’t do that anymore, once we’ve seen – or heard – all the routines you’ve got, then we can move on and finally leave you alone. Look, there’s another one over there, let’s go see what they can do, see what they’re like.

Is That Entertainment?

Serena isn’t paid to talk. I wonder whether she’d do what she is paid to do, if it stopped paying? If it didn’t, maybe she’d talk about it then?

I think I’d be quite irritated if I was the very best thing on the planet at doing my thing that entertains, only to be told I need to give some more (and more … and more …).

Does it effect how much sponsorship she manages to attract? I don’t think she’s made for selling strips to wax your legs. You need to be a very pretty version of normal to get that gig.

There’s a fella plays basketball who’s a bit shorter than most of the rest, it’s said people like him because they can identify, kinda believe that maybe they could be him. I guarantee you they couldn’t, but that’s half the fun of make believe, isn’t it?

Full Circle ²

I like people who can play football very well. I like people who can sing, or who can dance. I like people who can write interesting things. I like people who can act. I like people who can hit a ball with a bat … Or a racket.

I’m not bothered how well they can talk about it (we’ve got Martin Tyler for that). I’m even less bothered whether or not they talk about themselves. I like looking at them do whatever it is they do – And sometimes I like just to look.

Did the camera lie – Or was it …?

Interested in finding out more about the old woman in that photo at the start of this? A larger version is here – If you look carefully at it, you’ll see it isn’t a person at all, just the stump of a long dead tree.

1 Other washing powders are available … Your mileage may vary with any of them.

2 If you type “sere” into Google, its Intelliguess knows what you want … Unless you wanted serendipity?